Chapter 13 Life in the State of Texas

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Chapter 13 Life in the State of Texas"— Presentation transcript:

1 Chapter 13 Life in the State of Texas 1851-1860Essential QuestionsWhy did Immigrants come to Texas and what impact did they have when they arrived?Was it the destiny of Texas to become a slave state?Could Texas have avoided joining the Confederacy?

2 Changes in Texas Many people in Texas had come in from other statesfamiliar with customs, money system, and languagesBut, Texas was still a Frontier State…challenging and excitingFrontier Line in Texas stretched from Red River to Rio Grande…known today as Interstate 35But, Texas was experiencing rapid growthRead “In this Land of Ours” box p. 286

3 Rural Life in TexasBetween , most Texans lived on farms and ranchesNumber of farms grew from 12,000 to 43,000Most people had their own farm or ranchesMost focused on growing food cropsCorn: largest food cropOther crops: wheat, oats, sweet potatoesPeople didn’t make much money from foodcropshttp://soilcrop.tamu.edu/photogallery/cornsorghum+/pages/corn%20ears.htm

4 Rural Life in Texas, contCotton: main Cash Crop (crop produced for profit)Cotton was grown in Texas and shipped to northern states and Europe…made into clothOther cash crop: sugar caneRaising livestock on (milk cows, hogs, chickens) was profitableRanches started—raised cattle and sheep—profitable

5 The Growth of TownsIn 1850, fewer than 13,000 people lived in towns. But by 1860, more than 26,000 lived in townsTowns had home, general stores, blacksmith shops, lawyer/doctor/trade shopsSheriffs, town marshals provided law enforcementMost buildings made of wood—logs or lumberNo paved streetsPicture on page 284 depicts lifeGalveston: largest town in Texas at beginning of Texas statehood (1850)Most developed port and trade centerSan Antonio became largest town by 1860Many German immigrants moved to San AntonioMenger Hotel (built of stone in 1859 and tallest building in state except for Capitol in Austin)Houston became 3rd largest town due to railroadsOther important townsNew Braunfels—many German immigrantsMarshall—center for tradeAustin—state’s political center and capitol

7 Transportation1850s, most rode horseback or in wagons pulled by horses, mules, or oxen (picture page 284)On Rio Grande, shipping down river was possibleRichard King and Mifflin Kenedy established shipping on steamships during Mexico WarThey established King Ranch in South TexasEast Texas—rivers were better and small boats could travel 100 miles upriver if water was high enough

8 Transportation, con’t Many Towns served by stagecoachesCould travel 5-8 miles/hourCarried passengers, freight, mailFamous Stagecoach: Butterfield Line—went from Mississippi to Pacific Ocean…crossed North TexasTook about 30 days to go from San Antonio to San Diego, CA…cost $200 for one-way ticket

9 Transportation, cont Railroads started building them in 1850sBy 1860, 400 miles of railroads had been builtLaid out in spider-web fashion around Galveston and HoustonMainly transported products to ports and to market

10 Education Read Then and Now on page 288President Lamar had set aside public land for education when he was President of the Republic of TexasNo public education yet—most kids went to private schools set up by churches in one room school housesIn 1854, TX Governor Elisha M. Pease set aside 2 million dollars for a school fundA few public schools were startedA few colleges were started then

11 Education, con’tPermanent School Fund: created in 1876 to make sure that schools would always have moneyToday that fund is worth about $20 billion +Today schools use interest from that money to help themElisha M. PeaseKnown as one of TX most successful governorsSupported Permanent School Fund—still used todayCleared state’s debtSet aside money for hospitals for people with mental illnessesSet aside money for schools for people who were deaf

13 Interesting Info Camels (page 287)In 1856, 32 camels plus one baby camel born at sea came from Africa to Texas as a US Army experimentThese 33 camels plus 41 others that came later were taken to Camp Verde (TX hill country)Very helpful in carrying supplies across dry southwest areaSome even used during Civil WarBut the camels were stinky and had bad tempers and were too hard for army to control, so they sold them after the Civil War

18 A Changing Population Many settlers coming into TexasPopulation in 1850: 212,000Population in 1860: 604,000Many Native Texans forced out when Anglo Americans moved inWhy did they come?LandSense of adventurePolitical freedomProblems in homeland

19 Migration from the USMost new Texans came from southern states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, & Alabama)Most settlers went to areas in Texas that were like their former homehave similar lifestyles

21 Mexican Texans 1850: estimated to be 23,000 Mexican TexansMost lived in San Antonio area between Nueces Riverand Rio GrandeOr they lived along Rio Grande from Big Bend to El PasoMany had successful cattle or sheep ranchesOther Mexican Texans worked on these ranchesJose Antonio Navarro had successful ranchSome Tejanos concerned that Anglo American settlers were becoming more influential than Tejanos who had been there longerJuan Cortina…was concerned

22 Juan Cortina Operated ranch near BrownsvilleBelieve Tejanos were not being treated fairly because their land was being taken away from themCortina fought against corrupt officials who helped take land away from Tejanos by carrying out acts of violenceBecame known as Cortina WarSee Picture/caption on page 291

23 Cortina War Cortina had about 400 supportersJuan CortinaCortina WarCortina had about 400 supportersCortina was defeated by a Confederatecaptain: Santos BenavidesResult of Cortina War: left Mexican and Anglo Texans suspicious of each otherRegardless, Mexican Americans continued to have strong influence on economy, art, culture, and language of Texas

24 German TexansBy 1860, more than 43,000 people born outside of US lived in TexasGermans made up largest number of immigrantsGermans came forpolitical/religious freedomeconomic opportunitiesMany Germans came to Texas as part of organized effort of Adelsverein—Society for Protection of German Immigrants in Texas

25 German Texans, cont John O. Meusebach: leader for German settlersBrought German settlers to New BraunfelsHelped settle Fredericksburg

27 Other European ImmigrantsIrish: 2nd largest group of settlers in TexasEnglish: 3rd largest groupIrish:left Ireland mainly because of disease that attacked potatoes, Ireland’s main food crop. This disease caused a faminefamine: severe food shortageMany Irish settled in San Patricio and Refugio

28 Other Europeans, cont Settlers also came from FranceFrenchman named Henri Castro founded colony of Castroville along Medina RiverOther settlers came from:Polandled by Father Leopold Moczygembasettled in town of Panna MariaCzechoslovakia—settled in Central Texasled by Ernst Bergmann & Josef LesikarSweden, Norway, Italy, and the Netherlands

30 Native TexansPres Lamar had forced out most Native Texans when Texas was a RepublicKiowas and Comanches still lived in West TexasHis policy was called the Removal of Native TexansRemoval: forcing Native Americans to move toreservationsAs more settlers came into Texas, they moved into Native American land = increased tensionsUS Army set up military posts to help keep peaceLine of military posts from Ft. Worth to Eagle Pass

31 ReservationsIn 1854, Texas government passed a bill (law) that set land aside for reservationsBrazos Reservation (close to Ft. Belknap in Young County)Set up for Tawakonis, Wacos, TonkawasClear Fork Reservation (on Brazos River…in Throckmorton County)Most Native Texans refused to stay within boundaries of reservationsBoundaries were crossed by settlersWithin a few years, most reservations were gone and Native Texans had been forced out of Texas

32 Indian Reservationshttps://www.tsl.state.tx.us/exhibits/indian/statehood/page2.html

33 Wedges of Separation Secede=to withdraw formallyRead “A Real Life Story” p. 295For newly annexed Texas meant that US problems were now Texas problemsSlavery was a big problemDuring 1850s, several issues caused “wedges of separation” that divided the US into North and South and led to the breakup of the Union of the USSlaveryStates rightsBy 1861, ¾ of Texans voted to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy.Secede=to withdraw formally

34 Slavery in Texas Slavery had existed in Texas for many yearsBy 1860, the slave population was growing faster than the free populationSlavesHad no property rightsHad no legal rights of marriage & familyHad no way to gain their freedomSlave families could be separated and soldCould not voteHad no freedoms like even the poorest Anglo American citizens had

37 Slavery in Texas, contAs population of Texas grew so did number of slavesGrowth of cotton industry meant more slaves were needed to work the fieldsMany slaves also worked on smaller farms or in trade shopsBy 1860, about 182,000 slaves lived in Texas (almost 1/3 of state’s population)Even though most white people in Texas didn’t own slaves, they supported the institution of slaveryThey claimed that slaves were needed to support the economy of the SouthEconomy of South did depend on slaves to help produce cash crops

38 Slavery in Texas, con’tBut, many Texans (including German immigrants and Tejanos) opposed slaveryThought it was morally wrong for one person to own another personIn the North, economy based on industry/manufacturing and had not become dependent on slaves

40 Free African Americans in TexasNot all African Americans were slavesAbout 150 free African Americans lived in Texas during time of Mexican rule…they had full legal rightsThey lost these legal rights when Texas became a state but many of them stayed in Texas anywayBy 1860, about 350 free African Americans lived in Texas…probably more

41 Free African Americans in Texas, con’tMost free African Americans were poor farmers but some were wealthy business ownersWilliam Goyens: owned blacksmith shop inNacogdochesWhen his status as a free man was challenged, Thomas J. Rusk represented him in courtAaron Ashworth: owned farms and ranches in ZavalaCountyBoth of these men owned slaves

43 Slavery in the New US TerritoriesCitizens of US debated over whether slaves should be allowed in new territoriesCompromise of 1850 decided issue for some territories (like California)But issue of slavery had to be decided for other areasUS Senator Stephen A. Douglas introduced bill to open settlement in Kansas and Nebraskacalled the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

44 Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854Had provision in it that allowed citizens in those territories to decide if they would permit slavery or notAll US Senators voted on the billTexas Senator Sam Houston voted against the bill because he thought that the Kansas-Nebraska Act would divide the UnionTexas Senator Thomas J. Rusk voted for the billThe bill passed but Texans were angry with Sam Houston because he wanted to keep slavery out of those territories and Texans wanted slaverySam Houston was not elected to the Senate again as a result of his voting against the Kansas-Nebraska Act

45 Political Parties The Know Nothing PartyThings went from bad to worse for Sam Houston. He supported the development of a new political party in TexasThe Know Nothing PartyOpposed immigration to US…especially Roman Catholics with German or Mexican ancestry2 major political parties in USDemocratic Party: mostly supported farmers andlaborers (Most Texans)Whig Party: mostly supported business growth

46 Political Parties, contWhen Texas became a state, most Texans were DemocratsSome Texans were Whigs but party never had strong influence in stateWhen Sam Houston supported the Know Nothing Party, he did so just to oppose the Democrats in the Texas legislatureBut, he never officially joined the Know Nothings

47 Houston’s Race for GovernorSam Houston resigned as state senator and returned to Texas to run for governor in 1857He ran as an independent and not as a member of either political partyHe strongly believed that Southern states should not secede from Union but that Union should remain whole

48 Houston’s Race for Governor, con’tHardin J. Runnels was nominated by the Democratic Party in Texas to run for governorOriginally from MississippiOwned a plantation near Red RiverSupported state’s rights—believed that each state had right to make own decision about slaveryFavored secession if needed to preserve state’s rightsHouston had been gone from Texas for 10 years and had become out of touch with what the citizens of Texas really wantedSam Houston lost the election but made immediate plans to run again in 1859Runnels became governor in 1857

49 Governor, contSam Houston stayed in Texas even after he lost the governor’s election in 1857His presence reminded Texans about who he was and his contribution to Texas’ historyProblems on the frontier caused Texans to lose faith in Gov RunnelsGubernatorial Election in 1859: Sam Houston defeated Hardin RunnelsAs governor, Houston strongly supported the US Union but most Texans strongly supported state’s rights. Under Houston, Texas found it difficult to secede from the Union during secession crisis of before Civil War began